Adding to the Beauty

The following very short piece—originally posted on the blog for my original instrumental music production project I did back in 2012—will serve as the inaugural post for this, my new creative venture. My “Adding to the Beauty” was written (as inspired by the lyrics to Sara Groves’ title track from her 2005 album Add to the Beauty) captures the spirit of what I hope to do here.

In all of art, I dare say that its creators share a common thread: the desire to articulate meaning and to serve a higher purpose than just a singular piece of art can ever do when seen or listened to in isolation from life’s larger context. Good art does that. It sheds light on meaning, on beauty.

Recently, I made a most happy discovery. To the best of my recollection, I never read Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird in high school nor anywhere else. And so, when the Netflix disc arrived and I popped it into the Blu-ray player, I had no idea what to expect other than something brilliant since so many people, on learning of my lack, had gasped and exclaimed, “You’ve never seen To Kill a Mockingbird?@!#!!?”

What followed was a two hour and eight minute masterpiece of intensely meaningful, heart-enlarging, mind-stretching art. Not only were the cinematography, the acting, and the screenplay stunning, but Elmer Bernstein’s soundtrack masterfully did this thing of which I speak: to add to the beauty. His score captured the innocence, fear, hate, love, integrity, and loveliness that have made this motion picture among the best ever made. I commend it to you after 1) you have read the book [well, okay I admit it, I’ve still not read it], and 2) you have seen the movie.

This blog entry was originally posted on my music site keithparishmusic.com back in 2012 (June 5). As it gives treatment to subjects near and dear to the purpose of A Strange Path—observing and living life inquisitively, asking hard questions, and appreciating true beauty in all its manifestations (visible or invisible)—I thought it appropriate to inaugurate this new blog with this old piece of writing and observation.